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From Tornado Valley’s Great Southern Star triumph for Kate Gath to Well Defined’s amazing summer for Ellen Tormey, Team Teal has again enjoyed a stunning season of success.
Reinswomen accounted for 113 Victorian victories from February 1 to March 14 and, with Harness Racing Victoria and TAB tipping in $200 apiece for each win, their feats will see $45,200 donated to WomenCan to fund cancer research.
The extraordinary total is the result of 39 female drivers donning the teal pants in Victoria, where 23 produced victories as part of the trans-Tasman campaign.
Their efforts made up almost a third of Australia’s 348 wins that raised more than $134,000, while New Zealand reinswomen produced a further 60 wins and $18,000.
Campaign founder Duncan McPherson joined RSN 927 this morning to laud “an outstanding contribution from all those who are associated with our sport”.
“The girls in Australia and New Zealand have driven 408 winners on the track and raised in excess of $153,000, then we couple that with our off-track fundraising,” he told host Gareth Hall.
“There are women that are affected, girls that are affected in our sport by ovarian cancer. (The campaign’s) the length and breadth of our great country and New Zealand, when you’ve got 260-odd reinswoman and 107 tiny tots driving pony trotters, 117 clubs unified along with the betting agencies and everybody else … the awareness campaign is out there. Everyone knows teal pants and what it is doing.
“All the girls are ambassadors, what they do and the way they are delivering the message is outstanding and goes to show the calibre of people who are in our sport.”
Ellen Tormey was Victoria’s most prolific performer, producing 21 wins including four with Well Defined, all in Trots Country Cups.
Team Teal ambassadors Kate Gath (17 wins), Kerryn Manning (12 wins), Jodi Quinlan (six wins) and Jackie Barker (five wins) made sure the special commemorative silks were always prominent in the winners’ circle.
More wins and money will come with Western Australia continuing to don the teal pants until Sunday, when Tasmania’s Australian Reinswomen Championship, featuring Gath and Manning, will also add to the tally.
Since its inception in 2010, the movement has generated more than $2 million for the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group, driving cancer research as well as creating awareness with education and prevention programs.
Click below to listen to RSN 927’s ‘EXTRAORDINARY STORIES’ featuring DUNCAN MCPHERSON’
